Temporary traffic lights and one lane closure, to allow Network Rail’s bridge replacement at Thornton, will begin on Saturday, 20 June 2026.

Work on the bridge, which was originally proposed to take 14 months and would involve a full closure of the bridge, will now be phased. The bridge will be fully closed for five and a half months and the rest of the work will be carried out under a one lane closure.

The work is part of a £311.5m investment to modernise the rail network in Fife and deliver new battery-electric trains, increased capacity, reliability and accessibility while reducing carbon emissions.

Network Rail submitted proposals to Fife Council in September 2025. Following community engagement and requests from Fife Council officers, elected members and the general public, Network Rail paused the programme to listen and respond to concerns, developing a revised approach that better balanced reducing community impact whilst facilitating investment.

A revised programme keeps the road open longer through single-lane operations, it delays and shortens the period of full closure, and protects key local priorities including pedestrian and disabled access, public transport, safe routes to school and reducing businesses impact.

Following intense scrutiny by council officers and based on the costs supplied by Network Rail to install a temporary bridge, Fife Council have now accepted that the Temporary Traffic Restriction Order can go ahead.

John Mitchell, Head of Roads and Transportation Services, said today: “We have been pressing Network Rail to try to find a solution to this which would be acceptable to all parties, particularly to those who are living in Thornton.

“We asked them to look again at the potential for a temporary bridge, to be put in place while the works are carried out on the current bridge, and to provide us with a full breakdown of the proposed costs. They have done that and, with all of those details now in front of us and given the complexities and the pressures on the public purse, we accept that the work must go ahead with the partial and full closure in place. “

The programme timeline is now as follows:

Programme timeline

· 15 June 2026 – Network Rail compound established

· 20 June 2026 – Works commence with one lane open

· 19 October 2026 – Full road closure begins

· 24–28 October 2026 – Railway closure for bridge demolition and installation

· 31 March 2027 – One lane reopens as works continue

· 9 July 2027 – Works complete

Paul Reilly, Senior Programme Manager at Network Rail, said: “The Fife electrification project is part of a £311.5m investment to modernise the network and deliver increased capacity, reliability and accessibility while reducing carbon emissions.

“At Thornton, we’ve worked with Fife Council and the local community to revise our plans, keeping the road open for longer, shortening the full closure, protecting access for pedestrians and reducing the impact on public transport and local businesses.

“We know this work will be disruptive and we apologise for the inconvenience. We are grateful to the local community for their involvement and remain committed to both continuing to work together across the period, and to keeping the programme under regular review, with a focus on reducing timelines and impacts further if at all possible.”

For the latest information, check Fife Electrification